Babcock said the club has a lot of confidence in DeKeyser, which shows, considering veterans Ian White, Carlo Colaiacovo and Kyle Quincey and former No. 1 pick Brendan Smith have been scratched at various times to keep DeKeyser in the lineup.

Teammates heard a lot about him, but didn't know what to expect right away. They like what they see so far from the 6-foot-3, 190-pound native of Macomb, Mich.

“He's a great skater, he's smart out there,'' goaltender Jimmy Howard said. “The one thing that has impressed a lot of us is he's not getting nervous and just coughing it up out there. He's under the bright lights of the NHL and he's holding his own.''

A former college player himself, Howard is aware of the difficult transition from the NCAA to the professional ranks.

“It says how great of a talent he is,'' Howard said. “If he keeps working hard he'll be a mainstay here for a long time.''

Defense leader Niklas Kronwall said DeKeyser is making good progress.

“I thought he was great the first game and he's just been improving every game,'' Kronwall said. “It's pretty impressive what he's been able to do, coming in from college and playing the way he does, using his size, making a really good first pass, strong in his own end, using his long reach.''

One of the reasons DeKeyser chose Detroit was he knew he would have an opportunity to play right away.

“I knew there would be a chance to play if I worked hard, so that's what I was looking for,'' DeKeyser said. “Every game I feel more comfortable with every shift. I just got to keep it going and play a simple game.''

The Red Wings essentially are playing in playoff-type games. DeKeyser isn't fazed by the pressure.

“I just like to go out there and play hockey,'' DeKeyser said. “When I'm on the ice, I try to have fun and when you're having fun you're scoring goals and winning games.''

The transition from amateur to pro has smooth.

“They treat you like professionals,'' DeKeyser said. “It is a little different than college, you're not always with the team, so there is a little more free time, which is nice. Kind of on your own a little more, that's one thing I really like.''